Ufortunately the pop up tie down thread hasn't gotten much activity. I've been interested in replacing the factory tie downs in my 2002 SuperCrew so I thought I'd ask a similar question.

We use the truck for camping. After loading up the gear I usually throw one of those bungee cord nets over the top to secure everything. But the four tie downs at the corners of the bed are really a pain to use. They're so deep that invariably the stuff I've loaded has covered them up. It takes a lot of shifting and twisting and pushing to expose them enough to use.

Do you use the factory tie downs in similar situations? If not, what have you replaced them with? If you do, have you got any tips for making them easier to use?

 

Saw these on the web, maybe they would help out with your situation. I agree the facotry ties are a pain sometimes, but I don't do that much tying down full loads.

http://www.bullyclamp.com/technical.htm